Ammunition for toy guns



May 9, 1967 AMMUNITION FOR TOY GUNS Filed Aug. 12, 1965 Fig! 2Sheets-Sheet 1 May 9, 1967 Filed Aug. 12, 1965 Fig.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AMMUNITIGN FUR TOY GUNS Giampiero Ferri, Via Stoppani38, and Jori Marinai, Via Stoppani 29, both of Florence, Italy FiledAug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,112 Claims priority, application Italy, Aug.21, 1964, 18,291/ 64 6 Claims. (Cl. 10286.5)

This invention relates to ammunition for toy guns.

It is an object of the present invention to provide improved stripammunition for toy guns.

According to the present invention there is provided in strip ammunitionfor toy guns a plurality of discrete explosive charges, container meansfor each said charge, stalk means for interconnecting said containermeans, and stop means formed on the stalk means for engagement byadvancing means of a toy gun, whereby the strip can be advanced by thespace between each container means each time the gun is fired.

Two embodiments of a strip of caps in accordance with the invention willnow be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate respectively a side view, a front view, anda second side view opposite the first side-view of a strip of caps inaccordance with the invention;

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate respectively transverse sections on the linesIV1V and VV of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a second embodiment of a strip of caps,respectively integral and divided on a line of reduced strength forforming of several lengths of strip; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a local section on the line VIIIVIII of FIG. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 to 5, explosivecaps 1 of cup or tumbler form are made of a thermoplasticsynthetic-resin material and receive an explosive in the bottom of thecavity formed by said cups. The caps are connected to one another bystalks 2 likewise made of the thermoplastic synthetic-resin material, insuch a manner that a strip of predetermined length can be formed as asingle element in the thermoplastic material by use of an injectionmould. The stalks 2 project laterally with respect to a line passingthrough the centres of the caps and are inclined so as to form teeth 2alike the teeth of a rack, a stop or shoulder 2b being arranged toco-operate with advancing means (not shown) forming a part of a gun. Thestalks 2 are also so formed as to allow the cutting thereof along achain line as indicated at T in the drawing, and inclined with respectto the line of the centres of the caps, referred to above. Therefore, onone side of the strip of caps a guide projection is formed which isdesigned to ensure the retaining of the strip in a housing of a gun,said housing being provided with an appropriate channel in which theprojecting portion of the stalk between the caps slides. Furthermore,the profile of the stalks 2-2a allows the formation of a rack with stopssubstantially equi-distant from one another, since the caps, andpreferably also the stops are arranged in alignment with each cap forthe above stated purpose of advance of the strip in its housing.

One of the ends of the strip illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 is providedwith an extension 5 having a thickness substantially equal to one halfof the thickness of the stalk 2 and from which two pins 6 extend,appropriately spaced from each other. The pins extend from the surfaceforming the step determined by the reduction in thickness. At the sameend there is also provided a second extension 7, spaced from theextension 5. The extension 5 is inclined substantially as the stalks 2.At the opposite States Patent 0 end there is provided adjacent the lastcap an extension 8, which has a stop 8a corresponding to the stops 2b ofthe rack teeth. The extension 8 has a thickness substantially equal toone half of that of the stalks 2, with a step on the end opposite thatdefined by the extension 5. Two apertures 9, spaced apart by a distancecorresponding to that of the pins 6 of the extension 5, are provided inthe reduced thickness portion of the extension 8.

The arrangement is such that a strip of caps as described can beconnected by means of the pins 6 to the apertures 9 of another strip, asis indicated for a strip S chain lines which is engaged at the lowersection of the strip indicated by S in FIG. 2.

The connection formed by the pins 6 and apertures 9 allows the formationof a strip having an extent longer than that of a single portion S or Sto increase the performance of a gun, when a longer series of shots isdesired than is possible with a single strip.

It is to be noted that the stop 8a formed by the extension 8 completes atooth of the strip of caps where the extension 8 is adjacent, withoutmodifying the pitch between the caps of the two strips or portions.

The extension 7 serves to guide the last cap in the housing provided forin the magazine to accommodate the strip.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 to 8, a row of caps 11 is formed into a stripby means of the stalks 12 which are inclined between one cap and thenext to form a toothlike projection 12a and thus also a number of rackteeth of ratchet profile having stops 12b whose pitch corresponds to thepitch between the caps. The stops 12b facilitate the advance of thestrip by advance means (not shown) provided in a gun.

In order to allow the division of a strip into portions of a desiredlength (that is for a desired number of shots), at selected positionsalong the length of the strip there are provided zones having a reducedstrength designed to allow the easy separation of contiguous caps,without affecting the capability of advance even at the ends of theseportions. In other words the formation of the stop of each cap ismaintained, even if located at the end of a portion.

For this purpose, there is provided, at each of several positions alongthe strip, an L-shaped recess 13 which has a substantially rectilinearportion extending parallel to the stop or shoulder 12b of the cap and aportion extending in the length direction of the stalk 12.

By applying a pull to the two portions to be separated about the line ofthe reduced strength 16, the breakdown of the connection is madeprecisely at the line of the recess 13 as shown in FIG. 7.

By means of this separation it should be noted that the lower portion orlength (FIG. 7) which results, maintains, between the penultimate andthe last cap of the portion, a pitch of the stops 12b which is imposedby the shape of the mould, the pitch being indicated by a in FIGS. 6 and7. The portion or length which becomes the major length in FIG. 7 alsoincludes a last cap having an extension 14, the end 14a of which forms astop which substantially corresponds to the position of the stops 12band the distance of which from the adjacent stop 12b (corresponding tothe last cap of the portion) is indicated by b and is slightly smallerthan the pitch a. As the breaking line indicated by the recess 13 asabove stated is spaced by only a short distance from the stop 12badjacent the length parallel to said stop. Therefore, the diiferencebetween the distance a and the distance b is determined by the thicknessof the small tooth 15 Which is formed in the lower length or portion.The tooth 15 and the stop 1% permit the advance to be predetermined atthe start or at the end of a portion of the strip obtained by separatingthe strips along the lines of the recesses 13.

A length may be sheared along the line indicated at T (chain line) whichis a cutting line inclined with respect to the direction of the strip ofcaps. Division is obtained by a blade of a gun (not shown) controlled,for instance, by a striking force determined by the explosion of a cap.In this way, the separation of each exploded cap is obtained immediatelyafter each explosion. In this way an imitation of an exploded cartridgecase of a real gun is obtained. It is to be noted that after havingexploded the last of the caps of a portion of strip, the shearingeffects only a separation of a part of the lower extension from theresidual portion of the length of the strip which is formed by the lastof the exploded caps.

The diiference between the length b of the extension 14 and the pitch ais so reduced as not to give rise to any disadvantages in the operationof the gun, since the forwarding action etfected by the advance means onthe end 14a of the extension 14 is sufiicient to cause the cutting andalso the expulsion of the last of the caps.

An extension 17 is provided for use with the last cap of a length, toguide the residue of the length in the housing in the magazine of thegun.

It is intended that the drawings should only illustrate an embodimentgiven only as a practical demonstration of the invention, modificationsbeing possible, for example the stops or at least the connection stalksmay be .substantially central with respect to the alignment of the.caps, instead of being displaced laterally.

According to another modification, the ammunition caps are mounted on asingle cardboard strip element or the like. Rack-like shoulders or stopsare formed in the cardboard In another modification the stops are formedby the outer surface of each cap.

By means of the hereinbefore described embodiments, many advantages areobtained and particularly a quick insertion is attained in the magazineof a toy gun. A mechanised or automatic advance of the ammunition ateach shot can be effected with a trigger system or with an automaticsystem. Further, the caps can be severed as each cap is fired in such amanner that spent cases are ejected in the manner of a real gun.

We claim:

1. Strip of ammunition for toy guns comprising, a row of spacedexplosive caps arranged along a line passing substantially through theircenters, each of said caps being formed as a cup-like container with anexplosive charge therein, stalk means interconnecting each cap to theother along a side laterally offset from the row of said caps, and aseries of spaced stops along said stalk means, each of said stops beingarranged alongside each cap and being engageable by advancing means of atoy gun.

2. The strip of ammunition in accordance with claim 1, wherein saidstrip has a first cap and a last cap, said last cap having a guide meansextension opposite the stalk means for guiding the residue of a lengthof caps through a gun housing.

3. The strip of ammunition in accordance with claim 1, wherein the stalkmeans interconnecting one cap to the other are each inclined such as toform teeth of a rack, and wherein said stop means are defined by saidteeth as laterally extending shoulders arranged to be engageable byadvancing means of a toy gun.

4. The stri of ammunition of claim 3, wherein said containers and saidstalk means are formed of thermoplastic synthetic-resin material.

5. The strip of ammunition of claim 3, wherein said stalk meansinterconnecting one cap to the other is made of cardboard strip, saidcardboard strip carrying said caps in spaced relationship.

6. The strip of ammunition of claim 3, wherein said stalk means has ascore line at a predetermined length for separating said predeterminedlength from a continuous length of strip, said score line being shapedto provide a laterally extending shoulder when said predetermined lengthis separated from the continuous length of strip.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 302 2/1859Laidley 10286.5

(Additional Improvement) 173,675 2/1876 Savoral 10286.5 221,015 10/1876Backes 102-86.5 1,989,495 1/1935 Peake 86-1 2,823,789 2/1958 Henning8935 X 3,046,842 6/1962 Sergay 10238 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,224,125 2/ 1960France.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT F. STAHL, Examiner.

1. STRIP OF AMMUNITION FOR TOY GUNS COMPRISING, A ROW OF SPACEDEXPLOSIVE CAPS ARRANGED ALONG A LINE PASSING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGH THEIRCENTERS, EACH OF SAID CAPS BEING FORMED AS A CUP-LIKE CONTAINER WITH ANEXPLOSIVE CHARGE THEREIN, STALK MEANS INTERCONNECTING EACH CAP TO THEOTHER ALONG A SIDE LATERALLY OFFSET FROM THE ROW OF SAID CAPS, AND ASERIES OF SPACED STOPS ALONG SAID STALK MEANS, EACH OF SAID STOPS BEINGARRANGED ALONGSIDE EACH CAP AND BEING ENGAGEABLE BY ADVANCING MEANS OF ATOY GUN.